Final answer:
The missing development in the list of European farming advancements is crop rotation. This practice, dating back to 8000 BCE, was pivotal in maintaining soil health and increasing agricultural productivity, especially when combined with other technologies like the heavy plow, horseshoes, and horse collars. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The fourth farming development discussed in class alongside the new plow, horseshoes, and the horse collar is A) Crop rotation.
Crop rotation, which started around 8000 BCE, is a method where different crops are planted in a specific sequence over several seasons or years. Its primary purpose is to maintain soil health, reduce soil erosion, and prevent plant diseases and pests.
Crop rotation significantly increased agricultural yields by allowing the soil to replenish its nutrients naturally without overuse, thus contributing to sustainable agriculture.
In medieval Europe, this practice evolved into systems such as the three-field crop rotation method.
This innovation allowed for more efficient land use, with one field left fallow (unplanted) while the other two were in production with different types of crops.
The advent of the heavy plow made it possible to cultivate heavier soils, and the use of horses, facilitated by horseshoes and horse collars, made plowing faster than with oxen.
Together, these advancements greatly improved the efficiency of agriculture, leading to surplus production that supported population growth and urbanization. The correct option is A.